


a day like any other

by thehaakun



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehaakun/pseuds/thehaakun
Summary: The Beagles celebrate Edelgard in the best way they can.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	a day like any other

**Author's Note:**

> this was for a zine but i'm not in it anymore so w/e i'll post this lmao

When Edelgard awoke the morning of, she kept her face pressed into her pillow for a moment longer. No doubt this would be a day like any other, summer weather and bright sun vibrant amongst the stones of Garreg Mach. She could already feel the cool of the morning begin to fade, the afternoon warmth gently sliding into her room.

Sighing, Edelgard pushed herself up out of bed; she was at least thankful that her nightgown isn’t disgustingly sweaty, as it usually was after a recurring nightmare. At least her brain had afforded her that kind of small mercy on this day — it was a tiny relief, but a welcome way to start her morning.

When Edelgard finished donning her uniform, bracing herself for the daily discomfort of the heat on black fabric, she heard the familiar soft knock at her door.

“Hubert,” she said, not even glancing up as she took a seat at her desk. She can feel his presence in the way the room seemed to chill by the slightest degree as the door shut behind him, and his gloved hand came into the corner of her vision, holding a stack of papers.

“Your daily reports, Your Majesty,” Hubert murmured, as he did every day when he came to her to deliver news.

“Anything out of the ordinary?” Edelgard asked as she took the papers in hand. 

“No. Today’s information is easier to digest, I believe.”

She glanced at him, brow furrowed. “Hubert—”

“I know.” He straightened up behind her, hands behind his back, his golden gaze unfathomable as ever. “As I have respected your wishes, I do so now. I did nothing special for today.”

“Good,” Edelgard said under her breath. It wasn’t that she loathed this particular day in the year — she neither liked nor disliked it, but she deigned not to acknowledge nor celebrate it, not with so much more important things at hand.

“However, as you requested,” Hubert said, and Edelgard saw him placing a set of pristine white gloves on top of her desk. “Since your current pair became damaged from the last battle.” In his words, unspoken and unsaid, Edelgard could hear his tone —  _ not a gift. _

“Thank you, Hubert.” Taking off the worn pair she had on right then, Edelgard quickly slid on the new pair — and to her surprise, found it to be made of a marvelously fine fabric, softer and lighter, supremely comfortable and almost unnoticeable. This was, Edelgard ascertained, nothing like her past pairs of gloves — but when Edelgard shifted in her seat to look Hubert full on the face, he only met her gaze with obstinacy, steadfast and unmoving.

Hubert raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem, Edelgard? Is it not satisfactory?”

“...No, Hubert. It’s excellent.” Sighing, she stood up, shoving the reports in a drawer. She’d known Hubert for years, could figure out his tells better than anyone, but there were some things about him she knew she’d never understand. “We should head to class.”

—-

A part of Edelgard had braced herself for something to happen when she entered the classroom, but to her relief, found her classmates hanging around and talking with each other as usual — but maybe she imagined the way the conversation lulled and went quiet for a split second beat when she entered. 

Taking her usual seat at the forefront, Edelgard saw Byleth at the front desk as usual, looking over stacks of papers. Edelgard silently hoped that her professor wouldn’t attempt to throw any kind of celebration for her today — and her wish was thankfully granted when Byleth finally stood, glancing around to room to check on attendance before she went to the chalkboard, tapping it with her hand.

“If you all could turn in your completed homework by passing it to the front, we’ll begin the next lesson…”

That summer day’s lesson was a tad more difficult than usual, a complex and intricate diagram of attacking a mountainside fortress, so when the lesson ended, Edelgard stood up, notes held in her hand as she took steps towards Byleth’s desk—

“I’m sorry, Edelgard. I have some urgent business to attend to right now,” Byleth said, neatly stacking papers in a pile. “If you have questions, please attend my office hours tomorrow.”

“Of course, Professor,” Edelgard said, but she felt a brief flash of confusion — Byleth always had a few minutes to spare after class to assist her students, and to see her put a piece of bread in her mouth and then rapidly exit the classroom immediately after was a bit surprising.

Edelgard turned, mouth opened to try and ask Hubert—

“Apologies as well, Your Majesty,” Hubert said, his nose scrunched up as if he’d smelled something awful. “I’ve been assigned to stable duties with  _ Ferdinand.” _

Ferdinand, at his side, said with much the same amount of disgust, “Such magnificent horses do not deserve to suffer an awful, petulant man like yourself,  _ Hubert.” _

“I will take my leave now then,” Edelgard said hurriedly, gathering her books and notes to her chest before hightailing it out of there — she wasn’t one to stay behind and get caught in the infinite crossfire that was Hubert and Ferdinand anytime they were in the same vicinity.

—-

After class, Edelgard usually made efforts to connect with her fellow Eagles during appointed teatimes, so when she put away her class things back in her room and departed the dorms, she found Dorothea already waiting for her just outside.

“Hey,” Dorothea said with a wink. “Ready for our special tea time?”

Rolling her eyes, Edelgard replied, “Of course. Shall we go to the courtyards, then?”

“Ah, yes, about that,” Dorothea heaved a dramatic sigh. “I’m afraid we’ll have to have our teatime somewhere else, Edie.”

“How come?” 

Dorothea leaned in, glancing around, and so did Edelgard. In a low whisper, Dorothea said, “I definitely didn’t hear this from Hilda, and Hilda definitely didn’t hear this from Claude, but I’ve heard a certain  _ someone _ is setting up a stinkbomb experiment in the courtyard today.”

Edelgard placed a hand on her hip, shaking her head. “Why am I not surprised. Well, I’d prefer to not have my afternoon ruined, so let’s have tea as far away as possible. The bridge, leading to the church then?”

“That’s perfect.” Dorothea flashed a smile, a hint of satisfaction in her tone.

Edelgard always enjoyed spending time with Dorothea a good deal; she always had such an introspective and deep opinion on subjects that Edelgard wanted an honest word on. As the two of them leaned against the ramparts, admiring the view of the valley below, the two discussed a variety of subjects, from heavy ideas like moralities of warfare to lighter topics like a recent fantasy novel release.

As they paused to take sips of tea, they took a moment of silence, listening to the wind.

After a beat, Dorothea says softly, “I have the feeling you don’t like discussing today. Can I ask why?”

Pursing her lips, Edelgard said, “It’s not that I dislike this day. I just...believe there’s more important things to care about, and it seems selfish to ask that others take their time to celebrate it. It’s a day, that’s all.” A day that reminded her that while she lived and breathed and aged, her siblings didn’t.

“You’re allowed to be selfish, Edie.”

“Perhaps.” If only Dorothea knew the full extent of Edelgard’s goals — what she so strongly believed in, what she would give her life and body for.

Dorothea placed a gentle hand on her shoulder; startled, Edelgard looked up to see her friend say, “Look. You deserve nice things. You should think that about yourself more often.” 

Then clinking her teacup against Edelgard’s, Dorothea winked and moved away. “I’ve got stuff to do, so we’ll have to end our little session early. But good to be with you, Edie.”

“And you, Dorothea,” Edelgard said, and she meant it.

—-

It came close to lunchtime then, and after Edelgard quickly finished her meal at the dining hall (having made a wide berth around the courtyard to get there), she pulled together a tray of food before walking over to Bernadetta’s dorm room. Edelgard liked to check in on the reclusive Black Eagles member, making sure the poor girl was eating properly, and to ensure that Bernadetta knew, in some way, that someone did genuinely care for her.

When she came to Bernadetta’s door and gives her usual knock, she was met with a surprising silence. Normally Bernie would shriek in surprise, or some other kind of cry of exclamation at her scheduled arrival. Edelgard waited for a minute, wondering if the recluse was simply taking her time in getting the door, but when a minute passed of absolute silence, Edelgard sighed, adjusting the tray to balance on one arm as she used the other to turn the handle of the door.

She would just open the door a tad and place Bernie’s food off to the side, so her friend wouldn’t step on it when she’d return from wherever she was; but instead, when Edelgard tried to push the door forward, she met resistance.

Something...something very  _ large, _ and very... _ soft _ was blocking the way. Perplexed, Edelgard jiggled the door back and forth, and continued to meet the same...weird, soft thing on the other side. Was Claude playing some bizarre trick on Bernie? What was inside Bernie’s room?

Just as Edelgard was about to shove a shoulder against the blockade did she hear a familiar, high-pitched  _ shriek. _

_ “E-E-Edelg-gard!” _

Edelgard turned to see Bernie hightailing it towards her like a frenzied chicken, her arms flailing, a wild look in her face — she skidded to a stop in front of Edelgard and rammed and rebounded off her bedroom door. 

“D-d-on’t  _ OPEN the DOOR!” _ Bernie gasped, panting hard, as if she’d sprinted a mile. “Y-you didn’t g-go in, did you?!”

“No—”

_ “Whew!  _ Th-thank the Goddess.” Bernie bent over on her knees, trying to breathe.

“Bernadetta, are you alright? There seems to be something blocking your door, I can assist you in removing it—”

“N-no-no! Don’t do that! Don’t do that at all!” Straightening up, Bernie noticed the tray of food in Edelgard’s arm, and she quickly whipped her hands out, taking the tray before she — with a surprising amount of force — shoved open her door just to make a crack wide enough to sandwich herself through. “Th-thanks for the f-food, again, Edelgard! You can go away now! Bye! Forever!”

Bernie popped herself through and immediately shut the door, leaving a very confused Edelgard in her wake.

—-

After her bizarre lunch break, Edelgard proceeded to combat training practice with Petra. She looked forward to these sessions; despite Petra’s youth, she was a remarkably skilled warrior, one of the few at Garreg Mach who could push Edelgard past her limits and maybe even, once in a blue moon, defeat her in combat. The Brigidian fighting style gave her perspective on her own knowledge, and she improved her own combat skills in turn (perhaps someday she’d be able to defeat her professor one-on-one).

Except, strangely, during today’s sparring session, Edelgard noticed Petra’s guard would be loose, unfocused — more than once Edelgard disarmed her opponent, sending her wooden sword flying, or she’d catch Petra unawares and sweep a leg behind her knees, knocking Petra flat on to her back.

Nonplussed and panting, Edelgard reached a hand down. “Petra, you don’t seem quite as up to par as you normally are during our sessions.”

Petra grasped Edelgard’s hand, getting back up. As she wiped her sweat from her brow with her forearm, she said with a distracted smile, “I am fine. Do not worry about me! We should continue.”

Despite Petra’s words, Edelgard did worry. Though she’d asked the Brigidian princess multiple times if she’d been bullied in anyway (though she knew the girl could handle herself well enough), it was always a concern in the back of her mind if Petra was fitting in well and enjoying her life here in Fodlan. And though Hubert never outwardly expressed it, Edelgard knew he’d also looked into making sure Petra could feel...not at home here, but at least comfortable.

But when Edelgard once more got through Petra’s guard and knocked her opponent over, the house leader couldn’t help but voice her concerns.

“Is something the matter, Petra? You seem distracted.”

“No! Nothing matters!” Petra said, to which Edelgard’s eyebrows shot up immediately. Petra immediately tried to recover and sputtered, “No, I mean to say, there is nothing that is the matter. You matter, Edelgard!”

“I...thank you. You matter to me as well,” said Edelgard, bemused. In a lower voice, she said, “Petra, if...someone is bothering you, or insulting you, please, let me or Hubert know—”

“No, no!” Petra vigorously shook her head. “No, I am not being bothered. I am sorry if I do not seem like I am paying attention to you today. I always will pay attention to you. You are my friend, Edelgard.” Petra’s warm smile did lift Edelgard’s spirit somewhat. Glancing up at the sun, Petra then quickly added, “I must be going now! Goodbye, Edelgard!”

And like so many others today, a confused Edelgard watched as her friend booked it away.

—-

Trying not to let her mind overthink things, Edelgard proceeded to the library for a study session with Linhardt — oftentimes it was less ‘studying with Linhardt’ and more of her sitting there while Linhardt slept next to her at the table. She found him in their usual corner and took her seat next to him, before pulling out her books and working on memorizing a chapter on medicinal plants. Like usual, Linhardt had his arms crossed on the table, head down and eyes closed, books forgotten around him.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Linhardt murmured, “How’s your sleep been lately?”

Multiple times in the past few months, Linhardt had been the one to mention aloud the slight bags underneath her eyes, the weariness she’d carry some mornings. At first, Edelgard had thought to dismiss him, but she knew perfectly well that Linhardt’s reasoning skills would pinpoint the reason eventually. She told him little, at the time, simply that she was never an easy sleeper.

“Not that well,” Edelgard replied, clipped. “It’s improving, though.” Talking to Byleth had decreased the interval of nightmares, but not by much.

“Hm,” was Linhardt’s response. He opened one eye, and though Edelgard glanced at him, they both said nothing.

She resumed studying.

After a few minutes, with a muted yawn, Linhardt straightened up again. “I suppose a last minute gift is better than no gift,” he muttered as he reached forward to one of his textbooks, and Edelgard turned in her seat.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Linhardt yawned, casually flipping through the pages of what seemed to be a tome about botany and herbs.

At the end of the hour, Edelgard quietly packed up her things — Linhardt having passed out again after twenty minutes of rifling through the pages of his book — and left.

—-

At dinner, across from her gaunt-eyed retainer, Edelgard said, “Hubert. Something is wrong.”

He glanced up at her, pausing in the morbid poking of his lasagna. “Is something amiss, Lady Edelgard?”

“Some members of the Black Eagles have been acting strange today. As house leader, it is only appropriate that I resolve these issues causing conflict among the members of my house.” Though Edelgard’s future plans involved tearing this academy to the ground, she wasn’t averse to playing the role assigned to her by the headmaster.

Hubert delicately put his fork down, meeting Edelgard’s gaze. “Would you like me to show you then, what is bothering our classmates so?”

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “You know what the problem is? And you did not report it to me?”

“Because I don’t consider it a problem,” Hubert said smoothly, unflinching from her critical look. “Shall we go, then?”

“...Lead the way.”

Making a face, Edelgard could only follow once more. What in the seven hells was going on? In the early evening twilight, the two of them moved past the high hedges of the open area courtyard around the gazebo, heading towards where students normally had tea get togethers. Sniffing the air, Edelgard noted the lack of stink bomb smell; and strangely, it was quiet —  _ too _ quiet.

Eyes narrowed, Edelgard opened her mouth to question Hubert just as they rounded the corner of the shrubs—

_ “Happy Birthday, Edelgard!” _

Mouth dropped, Edelgard stood there, stunned.

There were the members of her house, all gathered around a table set in the middle of the tea area, a large three-tiered cake covered in white frosting and dotted with red strawberries and candles, topped with a magnificent little sculpture of an eagle, with its wings boldly spread. Behind the grand cake were Dorothea, Ferdinand, Bernie, Caspar, Petra, Linhardt, and Byleth, some holding gifts in their hands — but what caught her attention was Caspar jumping up excitedly and pointing to the enormous  _ teddy bear  _ that was twice his size that sat directly behind them.

Edelgard went speechless as Caspar widely grinned, flexing his arms. “We all pitched in to get you this stuffed bear, Edelgard! We stuffed it in Bernie’s room and I carried it all the way here on my own.”

“We wanted to do something special for you, because you deserve it,” Dorothea said warmly, coming forward and grasping Edelgard’s hands. “Now, come on!”

At a complete loss for words, Edelgard let Dorothea guide her to the table, and she stood there, gazing at the cake surrounded by gifts — and her friends, all of whom were beaming at her. It’d been... _ years _ since Edelgard had had any celebration for her birthday, and to think that this whole time, they’d been...planning this, for her.

And Edelgard saw it in all their expressions — even in Hubert’s imperceptible smile — there was... _ love _ there. Love for their leader, for their  _ friend. _

“I…” Breathless, Edelgard weakly chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t know what to say,” she said softly, looking up. 

“You do not have to say anything,” Petra said, grinning. “It is what friends do for friends, after all.”

Hubert added with amusement, “I found it quite impossible to sway them from this idea, Your Majesty. Your...friends were eager to celebrate your birthday in the best way.”

Edelgard’s heart, so large in her chest, stifled the few words she could get out. “I’m...so thankful, to have all of you here with me, and I’m so, so, grateful that I’ve gotten to meet such kind, generous people like yourselves.”

“W-we could say the same to y-you,” Bernie said with a tentative smile. “You’re the best House leader anyone could ask for. Th-thanks, f-for always caring about us.”

“Though I hate to admit it,” Ferdinand said. “You have been a great leader to us so far, Edelgard. I will say that.”

“It’s why we thought you deserved some gifts and a cake for your special day,” Byleth said softly. “Celebrating you is the least we all could do.”

“It’s the best cake  _ ever,” _ Caspar said proudly, puffing out his chest. “We all helped to make it!”

Letting out a breathless laugh, Edelgard could only feel her heart bloom as Dorothea snapped her fingers, and little flames lit themselves on her cake’s candles. Dorothea leaned in and said quietly, “I know what you said. But  _ you’re _ important too, Edie. To all of us.” Louder, the singer clapped her hands. “Alright, let’s all sing now that the birthday girl’s here—”

Though it was painfully embarrassing to sit through a birthday song she hadn’t had for herself in years, as Edelgard sat around the table with her closest friends, her face glowing from the warm candlelight of her cake and the colors of twilight, she felt...happiness. It wasn’t  _ unfamiliar _ but it wasn’t quite familiar either...How many years had it been since she’d had a party for herself? Or, even, celebrated  _ anything _ with people she could call friends?

Becoming house leader had been expected, but never had Edelgard thought that she’d become close to the members of the Black Eagles; when they urged her to be the one to cut the first slice of her grandiose cake, her hand just slightly trembled with the emotion in her heart, feelings that she’d long since kept rigid and tight in a fist. But as she served that first slice, looked up and into Byleth’s face with that kind smile...Edelgard went breathless, looking around at the happy faces of those she could call not only her allies but her companions, and friends.

The night was a rambunctious one. After Edelgard had neatly divvied up the cake into even slices, Caspar and Byleth immediately inhaled multiple before Hubert hastily placed a few aside for the rest of the Black Eagles, and Ferdinand comically somehow got some frosting on his nose and hair. Once the cake had been consumed, their merry party went straight to tossing gifts at their beloved leader.

The giant stuffed bear had been the group’s gift as a whole, but Dorothea and Petra had tag-teamed on a personalized present that was a set of rare teas from overseas lands. Caspar’s gift was one of his ‘upgraded’ brass knuckles (which Edelgard politely accepted, nodding and smiling once she saw what looked like bear teeth embedded in it). Ferdinand’s was the most surprising — a vintage wine from his personal estate back in Adrestia, a rare kind rarely opened even at Aegir celebrations. Bernie’s gift lightened Edelgard’s heart; it was a small portrait of all the members of the house, loosely detailed but done well enough to look like a cute class painting. Byleth’s present was simple — like herself — armored vambraces, much like her own, but Edelgard noted the fine quality and the thoughtfulness of it. Linhardt gifted to her potions that might ease her into kinder slumbers — a well appreciated present that Edelgard found herself touched by.

The Black Eagles house then spent the rest of the night conversing and talking as friends would do, laughing when Caspar and Ferdinand got into a heated argument on who would win in a fight, one hundred chickens or one giant chicken, or thoughtfully debating whether creatures of said myth were real — though Linhardt murmured his belief in  _ some _ kind of large turtle existed somewhere out in Fodlan.

With the night spent, Edelgard returned to her bedroom, arms laden with gifts and present — and with a heart more full and light than she’d felt in ages. Perhaps...she’d treat herself to more celebrations to come. Maybe, she thought sleepily as she settled herself into bed, she deserved that much.

**Author's Note:**

> anyway this is like my last fire emblem fic i'm tired of fire emblem fandom in general i thought fates fandom was bad but damn fe3h is on another level i just hate being in this fandom at all i have zero desire to continue anything related to fe and ive been burnt out from fe in general for the past like...year  
> it was nice while it lasted i suppose i just have no motivation or desire to engage in the fandom at all nowadays thakns for sticking around i guess if ur here for my fire emblem stuff lmao


End file.
